Key events

1h ago Preamble

So what of Uruguay? I am afraid even the magic of Marcelo Bielsa cannot manufacture talent, and after losing players such as Diego Godin, Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani, replacements are hard to find.

Email! "Cape Verde is the Cameroon of 2026," suggests Krishnamoorthy V. "And Vozhina is the new Roger Milla. Keep the fairy tales coming. Is this not what the World Cup is truly about. They ease the sting of Giannis and the Donalds."

Yes, I am taking a couple of weeks off the World Cup from next Monday for Wimbledon and was just reflecting, while stroking my chin naturally, that what the early stages of those events share is a focus on underdogs and surprise results.

And what a delight Kevin Pina's goal proved - both in its finish and in the celebration, their first at the World Cup.

What I admire about Cabo Verde is the discipline, structure and composure of their defending. They held Spain at bay with effort yet also with ease, the belief in their approach clear. And they understand how to counterattack, the issue now is whether they can shift up a gear and press against Saudi.

What a World Cup Cape Verde are enjoying. A draw with Saudi, in their last group game, might suffice to reach the last 32; a win would certainly do so.

Beiranvand, incidentally, holds the world record for the longest throw in a competitive match - 61.0026m - and for the longest drop-kick, 78.014m. Impressive for someone who once slept rough.

But let us return to Iran for a moment. Their goalkeeper, Alireza Beiranvand - or "The Wall of Persia" as he is known - had to flee home to pursue football, his father unhappy with the idea and destroying his gloves. I wonder how he feels now his son has been player of the match at a World Cup.

Egypt, meanwhile, have taken charge, coming from behind to defeat New Zealand.

Group G remains tight. Belgium, who should be favourites, are in transition, the veterans past their peak and younger players not yet at the same level - perhaps never. They will aim to beat New Zealand in their final match and really should, but their attack does not appear ready to gel.

I do wonder if they have enough goals when it matters most, but they may need only one to prevail. And while it is true that stopping Lamine takes you far toward halting Spain, that is easier said than done and, if Olmo remains in the side, though he is not a possession player like Fabian Ruiz, he poses a real goal threat.

France, I believe, have the most paths to victory - their array of attackers may be the most formidable we have seen - but Spain stay the toughest to overcome, their grip on possession and space forcing rivals to create much from little. Their defence is not unbreakable but, though it is not as tough to breach as when a midfield of Xabi Alonso, Sergio Busquets, Xavi and Andres Iniesta stood in front, Rodri, Pedri and Dani Olmo is still strong.

Spain are a completely different prospect with Lamine Yamal, are they not? Apologies if that seems overly simple, it is, but sometimes, simple is what we require. He supplies them width, threat, speed, creativity - and gives teammates belief that with him anything can happen.

Yet hatred of the US as one entity is also a puzzling notion, though it suits a certain monotheistic outlook, where only devils and angels exist. It means branding as one flawed whole a hugely diverse nation containing every kind of people and culture, the great human experiment, with all its liberties and faults; and doing so based on the deeds and words of a few governing Maga Republicans.

If America has become this single thing in so many minds, it is perhaps because this is how we encounter things now. Everything is simplified, shortened, turned into sound and noise. Never underestimate the power of the hive mind, that constant third space we carry with us. This World Cup is the first global event to unfold so deep inside that online space, experienced in sharp detail through a screen as a set of images and shouted ideas

This is how our information flows now, and indeed how Donald Trump gained power, flooding the zone, shouting the simplest message above the noise. The US may seem like an expression of violence simply in its daily life, an endless boost of human talent, greed, desire, cruelty, where nobody is truly in charge, they are just riding it like a runaway bronco. But the US is also not Trump. Seventy-seven million people voted for him, 272 million did not. A nation of 350 million people with more than 100 significant immigrant cultural groups cannot be one thing.

The US is the world in a very large and varied grain of sand, endlessly rich in all its beauty, energy, flaws and vices. To hate this is a strange idea. If you do not like America, what do you like? This is what humans are.

OK, so before we begin stepping our way through yesterday - depending, of course on where we live - let us begin by throwing things forward with Barnay Ronay's latest piece.

Preamble

Howdy partners! So Cape Verde are in with a real chance of the second phase, likewise Iran - wins over Saudi and New Zealand respectively will seal it, but a draw might suffice ... but nor are the latter two out of things.

Meanwhile, Spain are up and running, Uruguay are not what they once were, and we have another set of fixtures a few hours away, teasing us with their approach. So we will look ahead to Argentina v Austria, France v Iraq, Norway v Senegal and Jordan v Algeria.

Welcome to World Cup 2026 - day 12!